26. 'The Great Dalmuti' review. The Cardboard Cartographer Issue 3

Welcome to Issue 3 of my apparently weekly board/card gaming blog here at 'The science of selling yourself short.'

This week sees me reviewing a favourite game of mine called 'The Great Dalmuti.'

First though, a notice on scheduling.

The Cardboard Cartographer will not be weekly forever.
At some point I need to research and play some more games to review and talk about.
 There will be at least 1 post per month, and this may not always be a review.
Future Issues may focus on up and coming games, kickstarter campaigns, 'top 5's' and so on.

But for now, sit back and enjoy the show.


The Great Dalmuti

  The Great Dalmuti is a family and party card game designed by Richard Garfield and published by 'Wizards of the Coast' in 1995.
The game features some great art work by Sandra Garavito, Margaret Organ-Kean and Christophe Swal.
For more information you can head over to Board Game Geek's page on the game - http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/929/the-great-dalmuti

  Dalmuti is game for 4 - 8 players that is part bluffing and luck, and part strategy and scum-buggery.

  The game represents life in feudal society.
You have the peasants; the most numerous of folk at the bottom of the social order, working your way up to the King or 'Dalmuti;' a single entity of divine standing.

The object of the game is to be the first player to discard all of his or her cards wins the round and secure the title of 'The Great Dalmuti.'

 The twist in this game is what other players do on their turns; whilst you agonisingly wait for it to be your turn, can make or break your bid for victory. A few advantages and disadvantages depending on your social standing also give some gravity to which position you finish in.

First Impressions.

Since I have been playing this game for almost a decade now, it is safe to say my 'first impression'  will be slightly rose tinted. I will try to remain as objective as possible (if you have read any of 'The science of selling yourself short,' you will know this is less than likely).

The game is small and compact, like all good party card games.

The contents are;

• The box
• A small rule book
• 80 game cards

 I do think that the game is very nicely put together.
The cards are simple and colourful, with wonderful mural style artwork that adds to the feudal theme.

   The box is simple enough, but a bit lacking in substance; it isn't something you'll want to move around often in, say, a bag. I suggest getting some form of deck box.

Game Play.

 Like all good card games, Dalmuti is simple, fast paced and has very little down time (more players = more downtime).

 Before starting each player picks a card. The number will denote your rank for the first round of the game.
 The lowest, and thus rarest, number (ignoring the jokers) will be the original Great Dalmuti, the highest, and thus more common will be the Greater Peon. If a game has 6 players the second lowest/rarest and second highest/numerous will be the lesser Dalmuti and Lesser Peon respectively. Every other player is a merchant.

The players should then find a way to identify each player accordingly. (The game suggests switching seats; the Greater and Lesser Dalmuti having the best, while the peasants occupy the floor. In our games we have found this a little arduous, so we use hats. The more glorious the hat, the better the rank!).
 These different classes play a small, but important role at the beginning of the game. 

Taxation
Before each round begins the lowest ranked player; the Greater Peon, shuffles and deals all of the cards out to each player.
Then the Greater Peon must then give the Greater Dalmuti their best two cards; that is to say, their rarest/lowest number (No lying!). The Greater Dalmuti then hands any two cards of their choosing back to the Greater Peon.
 The Lesser Peon must then give their best card to the Lesser Dalmuti and receive a card in return.
Everyone else; the merchants, may trade cards between each other for as long as the Greater Dalmuti permits.

When this phase is over the round may begin.

Game round.

Starting with the Greater Dalmuti, players go around in a clockwise direction playing cards face up in the middle of the table.
Subsequent players must match the quantity of the cards first played, and be of equal or lower/rarer value.

An example to illustrate this would be as follows.

 
The greater Dalmuti starts the round, and plays 5 Masons; valued at 8 (There are 8 of them in the deck).

The next player; player A, must then place down cards. These cards must ; a) match the quantity of the cards played. In this case, player A must play 5 cards; b) be of equal, or lesser value than the cards player, in this case a mason (8) or lower, and c) b) be all of the same value.

In this instance, player A plays 5 Knights; valued at 6

This move is fine. The cards match the number of cards put down initially (5) and are of a lower/rarer value than a mason.

Player B then tries to play 4 Abbess; valued at 5. 

This move is incorrect Whilst the cards are of a lesser/rarer value than the previous players cards, they do not match in quantity.

Player B then tries to play 5 peasants; valued at 12. 

This is also incorrect. Whilst player B now matches the quantity of cards put down (5), they are not equal to/lesser/rarer than the value of player A's cards (6 < 12).
Player B therefore decides he cannot go.

(A note on the Jester card. This card has no value and therefore is not the best/worst card and does not have to be given in taxation. This card may be played in conjunction to any other cards instead of an appropriate number. Example. If player A played two Archbishop cards he would usually win, however, if player B plays The Great Dalmuti card and a Jester card, that would count as two cards of a lower/rarer value, thus player B would win the hand).

If a player cannot go, or doesn't want to go, they are out of that particular hand and cannot go again until the next hand starts.
A hand ends when a player cannot be matched or bettered by any remaining player in that hand.

The winner then starts the next hand.
This continues until each player runs out of cards.
The first to do so is the greater Dalmuti, the second the Lesser Dalmuti and so on. The player who still has cards remaining when no one else does is the Greater Peon.

The game continues in this fashion... well... forever?

You can find the rules here if you fancy reading them yourself - http://mrs-sullivan.com/wp-content/uploads/dalmuti_rulebook.pdf

Personal Opinion.

I love this game.

 
Every time I go to a person's house I take this just in case there are enough people.
It is a great, quick game that isn't too serious and is laid back enough to enjoy at any pace whilst maintaining enough strategic planning to keep you focused on the game.

The game becomes more engaging the more you get into it.
At the back of the rulebook it explains the 'additional rules' about seating, symbols, scoring and the merchant trading (which really should just be a core rule. The game isn't as strategic without it).
But there are other rules such as revolutions (having two jokers = reverse roles) and rank related perks (ordering the peasants about and so on).

Whilst I enjoy the game immensely, I do have two gripes with it.

Firstly, without setting a score the game never really ends. This can lead it to grow stale and/or drag on and on and on...
 It is probably best to set a score limit, a time limit or a round limit. First to 'x' points, or the last person to be Dalmuti after 'x' hands or 'x' time is the winner.

Secondly, you don't really need to buy the game.
 The rules are readily available online (and up in the game play section), and the card set up can be made with three decks of regular playing cards for a fraction of the cost.

That being said I really do encourage you to buy the game.
It isn't massively expensive, there are no crazy expansions and due to its simplicity and random draft nature, the replay-ability is pretty high.

Have you played 'The Great Dalmuti'?
What did you think?
Any suggestions on other board/card games I should look into?

Feel free to comment here, or hit me up on Twitter @DarKHaZZl3

Thanks for reading
-DH-

25. 'Love Letter' review. The Cardboard Cartographer Issue 2.

Welcome to the former home The Cardboard Cartographer.

The Cardboard Cartographer has moved.
The reasons for this decision can be found here in this post

Because of this, when a review for a game that was once hosted here is covered on The Cardboard Cartographer it is removed from this site.

But have no fear!
If you wish to read the new and improved review you can follow the link bellow!

Love Letter Review.

24. 'Firefly: the Game' review: The Cardboard Cartographer Issue 1.

Welcome to my new feature; 'The Cardboard Cartographer.'

The Cardboard Cartographer will be an blog series focused around table top reviews.
I'll be mapping out my encounters with the world of war games, miniatures games, board game, card games and others of like.

  Having played quite a few board games in my time I thought I could easily start with something from my past experience. However, I thought I'd save those for later (when I have nothing to write about :P).

So today I'll be talking about a relatively new game (new in terms of board games anyway).

FIREFLY - The [Board] Game.

For those of you who are not aware of FireFly's existence I'll fill you in.

   FireFly was a TV series first aired in 2002 written by Joss Whedon (Known for Buffy, Angel and the Avengers to name a few). It was cancelled after one season, which by and large was the biggest travesty committed by Fox entertainment. Ever. (Except for their news services... really? They try to call that trash news?).

  Firefly is what can only be described as a Space Cowboy/Western Drama.
Set in the year 2157, it follows the story of crew of Serenity; A Firefly class spaceship and their various encounters and adventures in a generally unforgiving Galaxy.
  For more information WATCH THE DAMN SHOW!! It is one of the best TV shows I have ever seen.
 If you don't have time/ have severe taste issue, you can read more about it on Wikipedia

  The Firefly board game is set in this setting.
Whilst prior knowledge of the TV series makes the whole game more engaging, it is far from necessary. The theme has only a marginal bearing on how the game is played, and therefore prior knowledge of the show will not grant one player any noticeable advantage.

So, back to the game.

  Firefly was published in 2013 by Gale Force Nine LLC in conjunction with Battlefront Miniatures ltd, and designed by Aaron Dill, John Kovaleski and Sean Sweigart. For more of this general information, check it out on Board Game Geek - http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/138161/firefly-the-game

  The game is for 1 - 5 players and takes around 90mins according to the box. The reality is at least 3 hours. The game is competitive in nature, and while it is possible to interfere with other players, it is not a large part of the game (even if you try really hard to make it that way).

 The object of the game is to be the first to complete the Goals on the Story card; of which details vary.
To do this players must take turns traversing the Galaxy ( the Game board), in search of jobs; both legal and illegal, to make money to fund their escapades, thus making life easier in the long run, hire more crew to make lighter work of jobs, and buy equipment and ship upgrades.

  Ahh. Board games always sound so simple. But as always there are obstacles in the players way. These vary from the Alliance; the big bad government trying to stamp out any illegal activity within their 'safe' sections of space , The Reavers; the cannibalistic, homicidal and generally horrible folk, trying to... well... eat you, and all manner of scum and mechanical problems in-between.

 Overview done.

Review.

First Impressions.
  First thing you notice when you get this game is that is pretty big!

While this doesn't put me off playing a board game (far from it in fact!), it does make the logistics of playing it problematic.
This only gets worse the further you get in the game.

  There are 11 decks of cards (Your standard trading/ playing card size) and each deck requires its own discard pile.
Very shortly that will result in 22 piles of cards.
These cards make up your missions, crew and equipment. These; as well as your ship, need to be stored in your playing area.
Needless to say, it gets quite crowded.

  Space issues aside the production quality is very nice.
The cards are straight forward, clear and visually appealing.
The game pieces are made of good card stock and the resources are plentiful.
The in game currency is probably my favourite form of currency ever!
The board is pretty. Who says board games are dull!
The only issue I have is that the ships themselves are a bit flimsy. However, they are considerably more intricate than your standard player marker, so I guess that is the price you pay.

  As previously stated, this game is very heavily themed.
While this doesn't really effect game play in any meaningful way, it is far more enjoyable being a fan of the franchise and sci-fi. Seeing cast from the show pop up adds a bit of awe to proceedings.

To the important part - Game play.

  As with many big box games it is very easy to be put off but the rule book.

Yes, it is quite page worthy, and yes, it does really all need to be read in order to play the game efficiently.
In spite of its relatively large and badly organised rule book the game is fairly straight forward.

 A player can take 2 of a possible 4 actions per turn. These actions are (in no particular order);
Fly,
Buy,
Deal,
Work.
 You can only take an action once per turn.

Put simply, you can either move, buy equipment/fuel/parts/crew, Deal (get a job/ interact with job giving folk) or work (do something required by your job).

 Players take it turns doing these things until someone wins.

 While that sounds repetitive, the game throws enough spanners into the works to keep this interesting.
For example; travelling short distances is much safer than travelling long distances... regardless of where you are.
If you are doing illegal business you might need to avoid the Alliance, which requires you risking Reaver territory.

Completing jobs isn't straight forward either; each job has a requirement in terms of skill, and more often than not, requires a player to complete numerous skill checks or suffer the consequences (failing the mission, losing crew members or being issued a warrant for your arrest!).

   If you are interested in learning more about the game you can download the rules here - http://www.flamesofwar.com/Portals/0/Documents/Events/FireflyRulebook.pdf

Personal opinion.

Now, I wouldn't be me if I didn't pick it apart a little, so...

  The game is relatively easy to be introduced to, and the mission based mechanic ensures that experienced players will not have a major upper hand over newer players. This is, and its low down time between player turns makes it a nice game for new players to jump into (assuming someone knows the rules).

   The only issue that arises in the experienced vs new area is knowing where certain crew members/equipment resides in the market.
Knowing which 'shop' provides you with the 'good' characters does give a slight advantage to the experienced player.
However, this is offset by the random nature of the market and the need to continually earn money to fuel such endeavours.

  Another point I should note is that  I often find that games with no player vs player mechanics to be quite...dull.
Co-operative games seem to lack a sense of urgency; a sense of jeopardy.

Firefly is in-between the two.

   While playing the game you exist in between co-op and competitive; you are not working together directly, but you're not directly involved in each other fortunes; except of course, by winning the game first.
    In this sense the game has managed to hold on to a sense of jeopardy; the missions can be quite dangerous depending on your crew and equipment, and the risks are ever present.
However, because you have no player vs player interference on a meaningful scale, you can easily amass the resources required to make most skill checks an automatic pass.

   Player vs player mechanics grants a game a killer edge; gaining the upper hand or a way to sabotage your opponents plans to claw back time/ advance further.

Firefly lacks this.

 So unless your opponents are rushing around trying to complete the GOAL first; in which case they'll likely fail, you can take your time. The sense of urgency, and therefore jeopardy, is lost.

  This I feel is my biggest gripe with the game. For something so intricate, it is quite casual. This can make games drag on. What is meant to take 90 mins can take between 3-5 hours.

So, overall I enjoyed the game, and I'd recommend it to fans of the franchise, and to board game players looking for something a little different. However I feel that the game could do with a little more incentive to get players to take risks sooner to get into the 'lead,' as opposed to players taking their time and tanking resources.

    So there you have it. Firefly down
If you've played Firefly, what do you think? What do you feel are the best/ worst aspects of the game.

Feel free to drop me a comment, or tweet me @DarKHaZZl3.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more reviews from The Cardboard Cartographer!

-DH-

23. General update.

Yup.

Usually these posts get some 'filler type' title, but today I thought I'd write a more in depth commentary on what is happening.

First off, lets talk Youtube.

 I have been doing a good amount of research into existing YouTube channels/ show formats (credit where it is due, my Girlfriend and her brother have been a huge help here).
That may just sound like I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos; which it has in part, but it is actually really important to understand what qualities I and others find engaging in a video/ regular show. Needless to say Bias is an issue here... but I think that is what adds character to a show.
I have a good idea of how I want it run. Think Game Grump and Yogscast and you are in the right ballpark.

 However, delays are happening.
My current computer just cannot hack games or anything stressful for a sustained period of time.
This means no recording games, no editing and thus, no shows.
Due to the editing problem I can't even invest time in shows that have nothing to do with computer games.

Bummer.
I do have the funds to invest in a new machine. I'm just on the fence as to what I want and need in it.

Second topic: Board games

 As mentioned above I cannot advance with video reviews/ playthroughs or any of that jazz.

However, I have been increasingly active in this area, so in the meantime I will be starting a Board Game review piece here.
Nothing overly serious, just my own personal opinions of Games I play. Expect heavy amounts of personal Bias.

 In addition, my own board game design attempts have stalled; this time by my own design.
I have a general concept, which I'm happy with.
I have a set of rules which when clarified I think are well thought out and relatively simple.
Overall I think the game works and makes sense.

  The problem I have is deciding if it is actually fun to play.
This requires play testers; something my friends have been reluctant to do.
So until I can find a select group I trust to run initial play tests I think I'll invest my time in researching techniques, theories and concepts.

Here is a sneak peak of the design; (The first concept; since very outdated)



General concept - Space race with ship to ship and hand to hand combat.
Since this picture I have done a lot more, however I'm not comfortable with showing it all just yet.
there is still a long way to go.

Third Topic; Writing.
 In short, no. I haven't been writing.
Will I still write? Yes.
When? Who knows.
Fourth; Everything else.

I've been trying to get into gaming again. Which by and large is going well. The aforementioned  computer issue is a bit of a drag, but by and large everything seems to be going well. Hooray!

I applied to a teacher training course again. We'll see if my references can sort their shit out this year!

Oh, and I've been doing a hell of a lot of work on my hobby stuff recently.
Check it out at The Underhive Hero, or over at my WiP log on The Bolter and Chainsword.

Thanks for wasting your time reading this jumble of thoughts.

Peace

-DH-

22. The Grey dawn.

 The capital G is because it is a name...

Which should be your first clue as to what this post is about.

  50 Shades of Grey has changed the literary world. A vast swath of 'romance' novels have hit the shelves since its release, and there has been a vast rise of people getting into reading (primarily women in this case, but not exclusively).

  My first assertion is that I am all for that. More people need to read. Graucho Marx once said 'I television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.'
People are not like Marx in modern times.The TV has become the beacon of entertainment.
Fine. Television is a valid form of entertainment... but it shouldn't be the only source of entertainment. Mix it up; read, watch, play, socialise...
But the sheer number of people who don't read at all in lieu of TV is staggering.

I digress, this is not the point I decided to write about.

This is;

I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/groucho_marx.html#tWietoLhjS7P0b0z.99

I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/groucho_marx.html#tWietoLhjS7P0b0z.99

I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/groucho_marx.html#tWietoLhjS7P0b0z.99

This is a 'romance' novel. Read it. Go on. Read it.
This is not romance. Nor is this literature.

If you can't be bothered to read it I'll give you a stand out quote; 'Cupping her cheeks to hold her still, Max rocked his hips, fucking her eager little mouth at his pace.'

This is Porn, plain and simple.

And guess what? I'm fine with that too. I have no problem with Pornography what so ever.
So long as people accept that it isn't real, then they know it has no place in their real life, unless it is legal and consenting.

So what is my problem exactly?

Simple. This is called literature.
FHM/Nuts/Zoo is now top shelf and covered. It is too Pornographic in nature to be seen on the shelf.
I'd argue that while this isn't as visually 'lewd' as those magazines, it is considerably more explicit.

So my argument is simple; these books are Porn. Not literature.
If FHM is top shelf, this should be too.
The idea of top self products is to keep them out of the eye view and grasp of children. These 'romance' novels are always middle of the shelf where anyone can see and pick up and read them.
Awkward conversation ensues...

So either they are both inappropriate, or neither are.

I'm not saying don't read them; reading more is good.
But please, stop trying to hide behind the literature mantle.
Just accept that you like Porn as much as everyone else; albeit in a different format.

-DH-

21. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or rather, the easiest.

   Yesterday I had a long day off from work. I set myself a target of being super productive.
I intended to work on my board game concepts, organise my YouTube network foundations (so I am ready to go when the project starts) and to look into buying a new computer.

Did any of it get done?
Of course not.

 I was just so overwhelmed by... well... everything!

YouTube has become such a complex entity with the Google+ additions.
I was lost in a sea of technological insanity. I roughly figured it out, but not enough to do anything worthwhile.

A for my gaming concepts...
Brick wall.

No clarity, no direction, no ideas. Nothing.
Call it whatever you want I just could not get the ball rolling.

After a really long talk with my girlfriend I decided to shelve them for now.
At least until I can think of a way to move forward with them.

She did suggest something, which, at first, I dismissed almost out of hand.
Work with something you know.

It didn't make sense at the time.
I blame the pure dour cloud hanging over my head on the day; but I simply couldn't see a way of expanding on the games I was looking at in front of me;
Munkin already has many, many iterations and expansions.
Civilization, Battlestar, Arkham Horror and the like all are vastly complex and have multiple expansions.
The complexity was over my head and the artistic creativity was out of my league in terms of knowledge and understanding.
I could not think of a way to add to either, thematically, mechanically or visually.

Today it hit me.
I was never supposed to.

Maybe she didn't know it at the time, but my girlfriends advice was spot on.
Work with something you know.

The game didn't have to be a board game/card game or RPG's.

Just a game.

Once I had that in my head numerous ideas sprouted onto paper, ready to be made into concept board/card games or RPG's.
Yeah, sure. These ideas may be academic; a learning experience that never actually get made.
But that is the point. I need that experience, to know what I'm comfortable with, what I need to learn and what works.

Today is a good day.

-DH-

20. Step by Step...

...I am getting there.

Or so I would like to believe.

So much for not letting things get to me.
I hate my job. It is plain and simple.
Undervalued, overworked. Underpaid, unappreciated.

I start work early in the morning. 6am. That means being up at 5.
I'm not the best at sleeping. I get around 4-5 hours.

So when they ask me to come two hours early? Really?
Fuck.
Off.

Let me break it down for you.

1)
I take relative pride in my work.
I don't like doing a job badly, I don't like leaving things half done.
But I will. I am not paid enough to care that much.
I also don't enjoy my job anywhere near enough to go that far out of my way to do extra time.
There is no over time pay, just regular pay.

2)
'Think of your bonus.'
This mantra pisses me off. I do not work for my bonus. I work for the money I get each month.
Now, I get that management think differently... I mean, why wouldn't you?
My bonus = around £200 after tax. Which is pretty nice.
But we already hit the maximum it can get for the year 4 months ago.

My bosses bonus = 22% of his salary. So around £9900, before tax.
I can see why you'd work towards that.

I don't give a fuck about your bonus, and honestly, I don't really care about mine.
If I didn't get one, I'd still work the same job.

3)
'We really need to straighten out the store.'
Why? I agree it needs sorting out, but if you did your job properly in the first place, it wouldn't be in this mess.
Simple.
I am not fixing your fuck ups for you.


I think I'm about done.
-DH-

19. Cracking on.

A while back I spoke of re-purposing this blog.
In a way that is what I am doing, but in another it is not.

In fact, this blog retains its original function whatever I use it for.
It is what I am willing to share with the world.

And right now that is apathy.

I hate the market economy system.
I hate Capitalism.
I hate that both these bourgeoisie systems of power mean I have to work a job I hate, everyday.

But you know what...
You work to live, not live to work.

'You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You are not your fucking khakis. You are all singing, all dancing crap of the world.' - Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club .

Fight Club quotes may well be over used, but it remains my favourite film of all time.
It puts forward the most valid of all points, in a way so dramatised that you cannot stand up and take notice.

You are not any of this stuff. Let it go. Let that what which does not matter, slide.

In other words, stop wasting your time doing shit you don't want to do, and start doing what you want to do.

So fuck apathy.
It is time to start living again.


Which brings me on to my next point.

While I look for a new job; one I actually want to do, I am going to do some other things that I want to do.

Firstly, I am going to start developing my own games.
These wont be computer games.
I do not possess the time, money or skills to take on such an endeavour.

No, these will be board games, card games and role playing games.

If I fail, oh well. But if I don't, then I get to be a part of something I truly enjoy doing. Win

Second. I am going to get a new computer and start making videos.
While at University, me and my friend always played Minecraft, and talked about making videos of us playing; to share the creations we make and the funny moments we had playing the game.
That way they could share those times with us.

So yeah. Gaming videos.
Nothing original except ourselves.

Might try and incorporate the first point into it and have some table top games involved.

And finally;
I have often thought it would be awesome to run a hobby store.
That is the the idea in its entity.
These are all lofty (ish) goals.
And yeah, I'll have to work some shitty job while I put my time and effort into these projects which may never go anywhere.

So what? I'll be doing something I enjoy.

In the meantime I can get on with life.

-DH-

18. Apathy and Gaming.

 Yeah, no post in a long, long time.
Recently I've been doing a fair amount of modelling. Check out my progress here - http://underhivehero.blogspot.co.uk/

Needless to say I've lost my appetite for contesting issues. If something pop's up I'll write about it, but sticking true to my promise, I wont post unless I feel I can get behind what I'm writing 100%.

So for now this is being reformatted to incorporate other interests.

Currently that is computer games.
I've been on the hunt for old games in charity shops and going through some of my old games/games I've never got round to playing.

I'll most likely end up posting predominantly about this until something gets me riled up.

Until then.
Peace - DH-